Erica Olafson Adventures of the Tigershark Vol 7 Chapter 14 Kilkam
- 4 years ago
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The incident with the dust cloud was now over six weeks ago.
Down here in completely unexplored space, it really hit home how big our galaxy really was.
Back home in the Upward sector with Hyper Highways and Space trains; with known planets and systems and of course with everyone connected to GalNet space did not feel as empty and vast.
We had crossed the gap and now steadily went further down the Coreward sector. Our sensors picked up some space traffic now and then, but in general, this area of space appeared to be much less busy than our Upward sector.
We had made two more fuel stops on uninhabited worlds and this time without incidents.
Until today, we more or less followed a straight line but today the Red Dragon had changed course as we passed a Quasar.
Shea suspected this Quasar was some sort of waymarker for the Dragon.
Krabbel pointed at a star system on his navigation screen. “It looks like he is heading for that KII type star. There isn’t much else around.”
Mehdi Senhadjii was sitting in for Shaka, he had little to do and had expressed his interest in Helm. For several months he had studied with Shaka, and today was his first watch on Helm.
He was visibly proud of his new position.”New course data received and entered, Captain.”
“You sure love Helm it seems. I wish I could as easily pick up on your instructions on Combat Psychology.”
“But you do, Captain. You are a very astute student with a great natural talent.”
Har-Hi groaned with a grin.”Galactic spirits have mercy. You learning what Mehdi does is downright frightful.”
Cateria who now more often than before spend time on the bridge stood next to Soboby.
“There were always Quasars near Seenian worlds. I was only a medic of course but I think, we once had contact with a very advanced civilization who made them.”
“We always wondered about that. I mean many of our scientists believe Quasars where artificially made.”
“I am not sure if Quasars are indeed of artificial nature. It is just something I remember.”
Shea asked. “Do you remember much of that enemy you were fighting, we only know as the Dark Ones?”
“No, I never saw one and I don’t think even our military knew much, but I think It was a space-faring society just like us for the most part.” She lowered her voice as if she was afraid to be overheard.”There was a persistent, highly forbidden rumor that the Dark Ones were actually Seenians who somehow objected the Queen and were able to obtain an even more advanced tech than ours.”
Mao said.”Whenever some legend or story is forbidden by official governments there is more truth to it than the rulers like to admit.”
Elfi nodded.”That is true and there were and are forbidden truths in Saran society.”
Tyron Suit who know just like Ak Fective always stood right behind me whenever I was on duty and on the bridge said.”It is more than a legend. At the height of our development, a Seenian Prince and son of the last Seenian Queen created the New Dark Ones and declared himself emperor.
The queen was utilizing an artifact of the First Empire that existed not millions but billions of years ago, and the prince somehow found or utilized tech of that era to wage war upon his mother and the Seenians. The new Dark Hordes were no mysterious, relentless foe as official Seenian records show, but Seenians led against Seenians.”
His explanation left us speechless, there in a few sentences, Tyron explained one of the greatest mysteries there was.
He went on apparently unaware of our awe.
“I am reading and watching much since I am freed and no longer a thing. This, of course, is the reason there are no artifacts found. They are one and the same. Artifacts of the first Dark Ones are billions of years old and I doubt much has survived that much time.”
Shea asked.”You would not know more about those opposing Seenians? If they won, where are they?”
“I do not know. I have been deactivated and packed away before the war ended, a fact I learned aboard this vessel.”
“Do you know anything about the other, the first Dark Ones?”
“All I can tell you about them, are the legends and myths my former owner was telling and hearing about.”
Shea turned her seat.”I like to hear about it.”
“According to these stories It was said the Dark Empire ruled over more than a thousand Galaxies. They had one Emperor.
One Being on the top who ruled with absolute power. This being or entity was known as the Imperius Invictus. According to these legends, he was not a mere being but a god, a demon perhaps. With powers beyond psionics. Another rumor was that it was the goal of the First Empire and the Dark Ones to find and appease that god, and created that Empire to impress that Dark Entity.
What of it is true I do not know but it was said this Dark One had ultimate dominion of space and time. A thought of this god could move Galaxies and that his power and rule stretched over more than one reality and more than one dimension. There supposed to be a physical of a prophecy that is the source of much of what the Seenian scholars called trans galactical myths and legends.”
Cateria was visibly shocked about this.”I never believed it but even I heard whispered rumors about that.”
Narth added.”Perhaps the Narth Supreme knows if these are indeed just stories, but all stories and legends have an origin as we too had contact with the Dark Ones. The Narth Supreme has shared little of that time with Narth. It might be the reason we choose to abandon all contacts and removed our world from this plane.”
Shaka now also took part.”If the Narth met these First Dark Ones and if Suit is correct about the billions of years, then the Narth must be around far longer than the Pree and the Uni.”
Cateria said.”The Pree were to us what we Seenians are to you, a Lost Civilization. Somehow I have a feeling the age of the Narth isn’t counted in millennia but in eons.”
Narth declined his shrouded head. “Your feeling is quite correct. We were the very first life form in this Universe that gained sentience and the first to reach Techlevel twelve. We were called the Nnnth and had a corporeal existence. We met an entity, the Arth who existed in hyperspace. We merged and became the Narth, but I must correct you, as one can divide Billions of years into centuries and count them”
I rolled my eyes as I did so often at Narths matter of fact statements and looked at Cateria. You heard him you can count billions just fine ... just takes a little longer.”
She smiled.”This is such an incredible story. I never thought I would admit it but I am very fond of this crew and this Narth.”
“As this Narth is fond of you and I even know what the meaning of fondness is.”
I turned to Shea.
“That brings me to a question. We do have time so why don’t you tell me the story behind that sword of yours. You never actually told us. How come it cuts even a Seenian suit?”
“Why it does it I can’t tell you. It defies all methods of scanning. The Material appears the same at any magnification. there is no molecular level, no surface structure, no measurable energy but it cuts through anything except its own scabbard.”
“Is it a secret where you got it from?”
“No, I just never really told it to anyone.”
She completely turned her seat around. “I was a young Sojonit. On my way to complete an errand for the order. When I witnessed a fight. A bright almost glowing human-like man in what I can only describe as a very ancient looking armor fought another man in a black armor of similar design. The Man in the black armor seemed to emit black flames all around him and they fought each other with swords. They fought like I never seen anyone or anything fight. Hurling energy beams at each other out of their fists and nothing around them mattered, they simply crashed through concrete walls and steel as if you and I walk through air.
Their weapons cut anything in their way. then the bright glowing one noticed me and thundered something I didn’t understand.
The Black Armored one however actually caught a falling wall that would otherwise have crushed me and because he was distracted saving me was stabbed by the white glowing one.
The Dark one was wounded.The white one was about to strike again, I jumped up and tried to stop it by pulling on its other arm.
The wounded Black one took the moment and beheaded the other.
At this the body of the white Knight withered away in a blinding light and the Dark One was looking at me and I saw no face just a mask with nothing behind the eye-holes and he picked up the remaining Sword of the White Knight and handed it to me then he too vanished.”
She finished and she sighed.
“They had leveled the entire city block, hundreds had died but no one of the survivors had seen what caused it. No one remembered the fight except me. I have spent much time researching and stumbled on only a few references to the Knights of the Light and it was on a fragmented piece of vellum in the Sojonit Library.”
Narth said. “You should come to Narth Prime and show your sword to the Narth Supreme.
Yeoman O’Connell who had been here the entire time took my horror mug from out the Serv-Matic and brought it to me while she said. “I think you have witnessed the clash between a Warrior of the Order and a Light Knight. I know little more, but I know of a Coven Sister who has spent her entire existence on the research on this and I know she had witnessed a fight similar to yours. She might be able to tell you more.”
Har-Hi grunted.”I can’t for the life of me, figure out why this rings strangely familiar to me, but I must admit I don’t like this idea of beings with powers and abilities like this. It would mean that there are things out there that make all our struggles and achievements appear pointless and small.”
He put in words what I was thinking. Several of these immortals have told me that I too would become something like that. There were undeniable events in my life and recent memory that had no real explanation, but I still clung to the idea, that I really was just a weird Neo Viking with gender issues and nothing more. Aloud I said. “I feel that way when it comes to psionics, but It is actually natural that there are other things and powers out there. Life develops even in the strangest places.
That reminds me how is that dust thing doing?”
Shea looked away and was suddenly busy on her console.
Narth was not paying any attention to me and Har Hi simply stared at the main viewer.
“I was just asking a question, guys.”
Har-Hi said. “Who are you asking?”
“Anyone who can answer me that question. Why do I have a feeling that thing isn’t in a box and contained in force fields and you all know about it?”
Har-Hi said. “You didn’t specifically order it to be in a box. You said to make sure it is properly contained. Shea said it just could fit in a box as I recall.”
I got up.
“Krabbel you have the Conn. I think I am going to have a look myself. Is this some sort of conspiracy?”
The Dai shook his head.”You know better than that. We would never conspire against you. We simply thought it might not be all that important. You being the Captain having all those other things on your mind.”
“Har-Hi, we are flying now for the better of six weeks through space with nothing happening at all. I am running out of ideas how to phrase nothing in the Logbook. Now I am not bored or anything like that but certainly we are not busy. Shea, what is going on?”
She also got up. “Maybe it is better you do come and see for yourself. Dusty has learned a lot in two month.”
“Dusty?”
“It wanted a name. Everything has a name. The concept of naming things was alien to it. You don’t need names if you think you are the only living thing in the universe.”
“You named the thing Dusty?”
“No that was Alice. She named it and Dusty liked it.”
“So where is Dusty now? I have a feeling I won’t find him contained in a box in our cargo hold.”
Narth nodded. “I think you can trust your feelings on that indeed.”
While I walked to the IST I said. “You are in on it too?”
“I am in on this ship yes.”
“Narth I carried your ‘Hug thing’ and I think you just tried to act. I told SHIP that isn’t going to work and you are certainly even a worse actor than she is.”
SHIP giggled and I looked up towards the ceiling as I always did when I addressed her. “Now that you are part of this, surprises me not one bit.”
“Honestly Captain we did not do anything against your will or anything that would have harmed you or the ship. We just thought you might order Dusty to be contained in a box. He really was terribly lonely all his existence and he is thirsty for companionship and loves to talk. Dusty was afraid you would order him outside once we reached a suitable star system.
So we sort of promised it not to say much as long as you didn’t ask.”
“I didn’t ask because I was under the impression the thing was contained in a box and would be released so it can feed on a sun or something. So where is it?”
“Playing Cards with Golden, the Holdian Specialist, TheOther and Circuit in the Pirates Den.”
“Dusty the Cosmic Dust cloud is playing cards in our Pirates Den. Do you know what the Admiral will say if he reads that in my report?”
I went into the IST and down to the Hangar Deck. SHIP answered. “I am not able to predict what the Fleet Admiral would say.”
“He will most likely fall off his chair again.”
I reached the Hangar deck and stepped through the door and the curtains to our Pirate Den.
There on a smaller table to the side of the huge round one sat The Other, our Y’All, my Chief engineer, the Little Furry Specialist Warner and the Golden Merchant.
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The thing didn’t move. Narth said. “I am holding it. It is strong but not unmanageable. “SHIP called. “The asteroid has revealed previously unknown weaponry. It is taxing our shields to almost 20 percent. ““Are you in danger?” “Oh, no captain. That tech is quite advanced, and I think it is Orlan but Mao took those weapons out with kilo loads. I was just reporting. “I dialed my TKU to 10 and said. “It’s going to get mighty hot in here. Narth your shields are on, right?” “No, captain. I...
The woman that stepped through a shimmering portal of dark red light, had dark grey skin, long white hair and wore a skimpy outfit which was an odd combination of bikini, medieval armor, and wispy veils. Her eyes had no pupils but glowed in the same dark red light as the now dissipating portal. Stahl suddenly remembered Sunday school and stopped himself to actually make the sign of the cross. However, he was never really intimidated, by anyone. The Eternal Warrior got up, like the old...
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The Thauran now known as Red Dragon cursed at the Situation and cursed his Sensor Operator.”You said you detected the Silver Streak in Orbit. Where is it?” “I swear to you it was there one second and now it’s gone. I think she went over the Pole. Adjusting for magnetic interference now.” “What a worthless idiot are you? Is she there or not?” “No Captain I cannot detect her ship anywhere in the system, maybe our Sensors were damaged.” “Of course your sensors are damaged. She can’t simply...
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Har-Hi had finished his report and waited for Stahl’s response. There was none, at least not right away. The Old Admiral was staring at the Dai and then wiped his mouth. “You guys found the source of the Y’All?” “Yes, Sir we are quite confident that the Crucible is indeed that source. Along with my verbal report, I have transmitted all data we were able to gather. “While we are all confident, our Captain will succeed in destroying this source. She felt that this was a number too big for...
Deep in the bowels of Quarva, Meeze reached a rock chamber, no outsider had seen since the Mara had left so long ago, There was very little light, the faint lumination that came from dim glowing mushrooms did little to reveal more than vague shadows. Meeze had little need for light, his species was well adapted to dark places and lightless crevices. There in the darkness, something big lingered, then moved and shifted. A malleable, mass oozing with stringy goo shifted its position and a...
We didn’t have to fight the Merrimac destroyer. The mercenaries immediately signaled surrender. They all were Union citizens, and according to Hans, checking the files. They did have a notice to appear issued, but were still citizens and not yet charged with anything. The ship was bristling with illegal mil-tech, but it was registered to Nick Harlequin and not to any of the surrendering mercenaries. They also reported the demise of Chucky Harlequin and wanted to know if there was any bounty...
I knew I should have paid more attention to the Laurin Oghr, especially since I knew about the Bunthik subculture. The only excuse I had was the fact that I was drunk, but then this was no excuse because I should not have left my guard down like that in an environment that was less than familiar to me. I should have suspected the presence of more than one spy. If the situation was as serious as I believed it was, the opposing actors namely this Cam Elf-Na would not give up easily. All this...
The USS Braddock swung into orbit around one of the most mysterious worlds in the entire Universe, Narth Prime. She was the first Non-Narth vessel ever to do that in over a thousand years. Captain Mike Anderson was very aware of that. No active scanning was done. He gave strict orders not to activate any probing rays or scanners other than the passive ones needed for spaceship operations. The planet was as unusual as its inhabitants and reputation. It had no visible surface features from...
Hans due to his size and strength was often seen as a bruiser with tremendous strength but little else. This was not the case since he was with the Olafson gang. He was asked about his opinion about other things. The woman across him was about as opposite as a being could be to a Saturnian, she was a Delicate. While Brana was certainly not a member of the original gang, she like the rest became like family. She had just stepped into his security office and without any hesitation floated...
A muscular being covered with a brown shroud came running our way. It had a nonhuman snout sticking out from under his hood. What was exposed of him was covered with a short gray fur. In his right, he held an elegant looking weapon. It appeared to be an energy beamer of sort, he had fired it twice into the direction he was coming from. Now he turned and with it his weapon and he aimed at me. Lucky for me I was close, unfortunate for him, I had already drawn the Dai blade. I moved fast into...
After I was reunited with my friends and my ship we left Karthanian space and returned to the space dock of Fantlemo Brthail. The Karthanian engineer had returned with us. He told us, that with the First Engineer active, the old Guildmasters would be swept away; and he realized that he no longer wanted to be a Guild leader. He rather returned to Itheamh and helped rebuild it and run his space dock. In order to maintain our cover, he reverted to his alter ego of Fantlemo Brthail and only...
The Thauran behind the altar thundered with a deep voice.”What is this?” “Itz ze Meeze, stoopiz. Meeze goez now, whenz the Meeze comz backz. Ze girlz Soburz iz bettzer reazy zo goez.” Men drew weapons, none appeared to be of Union origin and aimed it at the Wheeze. One of them said.”I never have seen a creature like that, and I can not identify the hardware it is wearing but it speaks a very garbled version of Union standard.” “Pffz youze triez to doez ze speakiz witz a ringmouz, noz...
I returned to the table where Har-Hi was talking with the former pirate captains and a former Union fleet petty officer, who had dealt with the Worm and now paid the price. “We need to get back to the ship, right away. “Har-Hi didn’t lose a second and got up, tossed a few Iridium coins on the table and was ready to follow me. Lemakr, the Togar said. “What about us, Black Velvet?” “I have all the crew I need and I am in a hurry, figure it out. “I was torn between showing them some sort of...
The disguised Tigershark dropped out of Quasi-Space and as it has become our routine just beyond the utmost Elfi said. “Looks like they had contact with our galaxy before. Communication is now possible. They respond to Squack.” I got up, Har-Hi held my mask. “You should wear it, it is part of your Black Velvet trademark and flair of mystery.” “You think I have that? I mean a flair?” “In spades, Captain and I begin to learn to like this Do suit, complete with mask. It gives me that...
He had been here once before, time of other realms had no meaning here. The ground he stood on, was a polished hard surface of highly reflective properties and stretched into every direction and into infinity. The universe with all its clusters and superstrings reflected in it from the infinite sky above this surface. This was the Plane of Eternity, a place beyond the Omniverse itself. Lumis remembered when he was brought here the first time. Then, he did not listen to the name of Lumis....
This situation reminded me of my first visit to Sin 4. I did not know where I was, brought here against my will. Abducted, stripped of everything I owned. I was once again bare feet, had several blisters and burn wounds. My hair was a mess, at least In didn’t have to go pee. Darn it thinking about it, made realize I actually did. I was still running across that landing field, not knowing where I was going, but I knew I still stuck out like a sore thumb, being the only pin skinned human. The...
I was sitting on the main diagnostic table of our sickbay. Cateria had taken me out of a regen tank just moments ago and was now examining me. “What did you do, Captain? Fight a blast furnace” I could not find the emotions to smile, Tyron’s demise was heavy on my mind. “What I faced was certainly hot enough to melt metal. “Har-Hi was standing outside the privacy bubble and said. “Whatever you guys did, worked the run-away Orlan equipment is inactive and we can no longer detect any random...
The USS Gromsmaro was not a supply transporter and not a unit of the Science Council. She was a full sized, late model Union battleship under the command of Captain Bronbohr, a four meters tall Vvolti. Bronbohr was not the most liked commanding officer in the Union fleet, but there was hardly one more correct or fair. His ship and crew were among the top ten vessels in the entire spatial navy in terms of response to alert times, simulated battle honors, efficiency ratings and so forth. The...
The news of Eric Olafson being on trial had reached Nilfeheim. First noticed by Lars Igvarhein the owner and operator of Nilfeheim Radio. That Eric had become Erica was not widely known, but his legend had grown. Isegrim, Siegfrieda, Exa, and Elenna had traveled to Hogun’s Tavern. The place was packed to standing room only. Hogun had his GalNet terminal active on GalNet One and the system displayed the proceedings on the largest field screen setting possible. Aunt Freydis was assisted by...
The latest development transmitted in the tightly packed guest room of Hogun’s Tavern was greeted with cheers and raised tankards. Gunnar Peerson said. “I guess we only hear now, what a hero our Eric Olafson really is.” “It is the strong arm of an Olafson and the sharp mind of a Ragnarsson paired with the virtues of a true Norse that is at the core of Isegrim’s firstborn that enables such deeds.” Proclaimed another. Isegrim shouted. “Mighty brother Hogun, open barrels and let your kitchen...
Rex Schwartz, now fully aware of his ancient dual personality, known as Invictus Rex had, of course, witnessed the approach and the initial attack of the Tomradi. He was confident, that the latest TransDim shields would hold against anything these aliens could throw at them from surface weapons. The appearance of these huge disc-shaped battleships however caused great concern. He brought along a sizeable army of Seenian Sentmacs. Cloned humans that had been altered to be the perfect...